Scientists in Shanghai have unraveled how plants distinguish between beneficial and harmful microbes in soil at the molecular level, a discovery that could significantly impact green agriculture and global food security.

Plants host a variety of microorganisms in their root systems. While symbiotic fungi establish mutually beneficial relationships with plants and aid in absorbing essential nutrients from the soil, pathogens deplete these nutrients, leading to reduced crop yields and plant death.

By understanding how plants differentiate between “friend” and “foe”, researchers aim to develop crop cultivation methods that reduce the need for environmentally harmful fertilizers, maintain yields and enhance resilience.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences in Shanghai identified LysM receptor kinases on plant cell membranes as key in detecting molecular signals from microbes. These signals trigger either symbiotic or immune responses. The team’s findings, published in international journals from 2015 to 2024, have shed light on this complex mechanism.

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The findings, published Friday on the website of the journal Cell, open new possibilities for improving crop growth efficiency. Scientists can now enhance plant secretion of strigolactones (the hormone) to attract symbiotic fungi over pathogens, Wang said.